Hair can be a powerful tool and an important part of your day-to-day look. Get it wrong, and you can look unkempt, young, and underprepared. Get it right, and you can not only emanate confidence and command attention, but also set the right tone for all of your interactions.
Here’s how to style your hair like a pro so you can get the reaction you’re looking for.
1. You Need a Comprehensive Suite of Products
Achieving good hair is rarely about one single product or technique. Instead, it comes down to developing a comprehensive routine that encourages healthy hair and provides the styling hold that you need. This must include:
The Right Shampoo and Conditioner
You may not put too much thought into your shampoo and conditioner, but you should. The products you use to wash your hair can either make it healthy, strong, and shiny - or brittle, lackluster, and dry.
And if you have damaged, straw-like hair, no amount of styling will look fantastic.
It all comes down to ingredients in your shampoo and conditioner. You’ve probably already heard that cheap pharmacy or grocery store products aren’t the best for your hair, but you may not know why.
The Problems with Drugstore Shampoo and Conditioner
The purpose of shampoo is to remove oil and debris from the scalp and hair. Most shampoos clean away the oil with chemicals like sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) - also known as sodium lauryl sulfates (SLS) - which fit into the broader category of surfactants.
These shampoos do their job - but they also strip away too much oil from the hair, damaging follicles, weakening hair structure, and leading to dry, dull hair.
They usually contain other no-no ingredients like parabens (which are added to discourage bacteria and mold growth but disrupt hormones and even lead to cancer) phthalates, and silicones, which initially increase shine but can weigh down hair over time.
What about the conditioner? A conditioner’s job is to replenish some of the moisture that’s stripped after shampooing (and also due to day-to-day life). It’s usually a mix of silicones, emollients, and cationic surfactants that work together to rehydrate strands and provide a protective coating that can keep hair from breaking down the line.
The biggest problem here is that a cheap conditioner can build up on your scalp, ultimately weighing down hair, congesting your scalp’s skin, and causing heavy, greasy-looking strands.
Healthier Alternatives
The best shampoo for men will skip the stripping surfactants and endocrine-disrupting chemicals and replace them with nourishing essential oils and hair-building ingredients. Our Daily Strengthening Shampoo combines:
- Hydrolyzed wheat protein to increase the thickness of each hair strand and strengthen the underlying hair structure
- Amino acids to restore hair shine and increase follicle volume
- Vitamin E to stimulate the scalp and hair follicles
- Peppermint and tea tree oil to relieve scalp irritation and destroy skin flakes
Similarly, our Revitalizing Hair and Scalp Conditioner boosts shine, moisture, and elasticity with organic ingredients like:
- Organic aloe vera, which provides a rush of moisture to your hair, plumping and volumizing hair strands
- Borage oil, which encourages hair growth and retention while reducing dandruff and inflammation
- Avocado oil, which moisturizes and strengthens the hair shaft, resulting in less breakage and fuller hair.
These products will give you the cleansed, nourished hair that you need to pull off any style you’re going for.
Just remember not to wash too frequently, as any kind of cleansing - even with great products - is going to wash away natural oils.
The Perfect Styling Pomade For Your Hair
After you shampoo and condition, you must find the right styling products for your ‘do. We recommend a styling pomade. Unlike gels and hairsprays, which can feel over-the-top, irritating, or difficult to get right, pomades offer a lot of variety, flexibility, and control.
Each pomade hair formulation has a slightly different level of hold and delivers a different level of shine, so you must find the pomade that works to achieve your desired look.
- Clay pomade: For a matte look with medium hold, use clay pomade. Along with providing a low-shine hold, this product conditions the hair, tames frizz, and encourages hair growth, thus helping your hair look better and stronger over time.
- Gel pomade: For a slick, high-gloss finish, you should go with gel pomade. A water-soluble product formulated with good-for-your-hair ingredients like argan oil and vitamin E - will provide a strong hold and polished shine without damaging your hair or drying it out.
- Wax Pomade: For a middle-of-the-road, jack-of-all-trades solution, choose wax pomade. Formulated with beeswax, vitamin E, and castor oil, the best wax pomade will provide a medium, flexible hold while still allowing for some natural hair movement and re-styling.
Need more details? You can find a full guide on how to choose the right pomade for your hairstyle here.
Finally, if you want to add a little extra texture, use a texturizing sea salt spray for men to add wave, texture, and volume to your hair.
2. You Need the Right Tools and Technique
Next, you need the right tools to achieve the look you’re going for. Even for the simplest of styles, that often means:
- A blowdryer
- A styling comb
- A brush
Invest in these tools if you want to style your hair correctly. You can read more about how to style various looks here.
If you have fine or thin hair, we've got some tips for you on how to get thicker hair.
3. Find the Best Haircut For You
When it comes to finding the right haircut for you, keep in mind that there is no one-size-fits-all look, and the right haircut for you will depend on various factors, including:
- Your face shape: You can read about the best haircut for each face and head shape here.
- How much time you can put into your look: You might be able to physically pull off a super cool style like a pomade or a quiff. But if you don’t have the time or the skill to style the look, it’ll just look like an unkempt mop on your head.
- Your job and industry: Sometimes, looking the part can go a long way in a professional setting. So be sure that you pick a haircut that commands respect and the right kind of attention.
Follow these tips, and you’ll be styling your hair like a pro in no time. Ready to get started? You can get your shampoo, conditioner, and pomade in one purchase with our Complete Men’s Haircare Routine.
